A great deal of history has been made in the Archdiocese of Dubuque since its founding in 1837. The Archives Office has attempted to put together a day by day accounting of both the significant and everyday events that have shaped our history.
| April | Description/Year | Location of material |
| 1 | April 1954: Franciscans sell “Our Lady of Lourdes” property on 17th St. It had served many educational needs, including a female college instigated by Catherine Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. | The Witness |
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| 2 | April 2, 1902: Immaculate Conception, Haverhill had its beginnings in 1877 with 12 German and 9 Irish families. By 1900 the parish numbered 73 families and on April 2, 1902 the corner stone for a larger church was laid. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), pp. 337-339 |
| 2 | April 2, 2005: Death of Pope John Paul II. | The Witness |
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| 4 | April 4, 2005: Michael O. Jackels ordained bishop; became archbishop of Dubuque in 2013. | The Witness |
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| 6 | April 6, 1726: Birth of Saint Gerard Majella in Italy. Canonized Dec. 11, 1904 by Pope Pius X. | The Witness |
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| 7 | April 7, 1851: beginning of the “Catholic Congregation of Guttenberg”; later named Holy Trinity — first church of any denomination in Clayton County | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 43 |
| 7 | April 7, 1991: Archbishop Kucera dedicated the recently constructed St. Stephen Student Center in Cedar Falls. | The Witness |
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| 10 | April 10, 1882: St. Joseph’s, Independence. Parish began when some of the German pioneers in the area met with a view of founding their own parish and sent a petition to the Bishop. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 335 |
| 10 | April 10, 1963: Release of Pope John XXIII’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). He called it his Easter present to the world. | The Witness |
| 11 | April 11, 2015: The Seven Sisters Apostolate of the Dubuque Archdiocese held its first retreat at the Cathedral. The Seven Sisters pray for our priests. | The Witness |
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| 13 | April 13, 1863: “German Roman Catholic Building Association of Dubuque” organized. Its purpose was to raise money to construct a larger church for St. Mary’s. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 37+ |
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| 14 | April 14, 2007: Death of Father William Menster, “South Pole Padre.” | The Witness |
| 14 | April 14, 1948: Professor Joseph Dreher was honored during one of several events commemorating his 50 years of service to Sacred Heart in Dubuque as organist and teacher. | The Witness |
| 15 | April 15, 1905: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) ordered to be established in every parish in the world by Pope Pius X. | The Witness |
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| 16 | April 16, 1210: Official founding of the Franciscan Order | |
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| 17 | April 17, 1936: Death of Arnold Seitz, “Dubuque Boy, Hospital Patient for 20 years, One of City’s Foremost Figures.” | The Witness |
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| 18 | April 18, 1980: Death of Father Raymond Duffy. | The Witness |
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| 19 | 4/19/1839: Bishop Loras arrived in the recently created diocese of Dubuque | The Witness |
| 19 | Msgr. Thomas Zinkula named Bishop of Davenport | The Catholic Messenger (Davenport) |
| 20 | April 20, 1839: First baptism by Bishop Loras in Dubuque was that of Thomas Bourne. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 9 |
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| 22 | April 22, 1837: Bishops at a Council in Baltimore recommended to Pope Gregory XVI, the erection of the See of Dubuque, Iowa in the great hinterland | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. xxvii |
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| 24 | April 24, 1985:New way to spread the gospel; (CTNA) satellite dish installed at Archdiocesan Center | The Witness |
| 24 | April 24, 1866: John Hennessy chosen Bishop of Dubuque. | The Witness |
| 24 | April 24, 1963: St. John’s Church and School dedicated, after the old church and school were destroyed by fire in 1960 | The Witness |
| 25 | April 25, 1898: Corner stone ceremony for St. Joseph’s Elkader, handsome stone structure designed by architect, Guido Beck of Dubuque. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 78 |
| 25 | April 25: Latest date on which Easter can occur; next in 2038. | The Witness |
| 26 | April 26, 1784: Death of Nano Nagle, founder of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM) in Ireland. Sisters arrived from Ireland in 1874 to open a school in St. Joseph Parish, Key West. | The Witness |
| 26 | April 26, 1950: New Hampton celebrated the golden anniversary of the erection of St. Joseph’s church and pastor, Father Emmet Kelly, celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination. | The Witness |
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| 28 | April 28, 1901: Area around New Hampton first settled in 1854. In 1868 the Catholic families decided to build a church. St. Joseph’s was dedicated in 1870. But it soon became too small for the growing congregation and a new building was dedicated on April 28, 1901 | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), pp. 276-277 |
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| 29 | April 29, 1932: Sacred Heart, Maquoketa, a newly improved church building was rededicated by Archbishop Francis J. Beckman. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. 315 |
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| 30 | April 30, 1803: Louisiana purchased from Napoleon for $15,000,000. Iowa carved out of this territory, the name given it by the Indians meant “Drowsy ones”. | Centennial History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque (1937), p. xxvi |
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